Kalyan: In a major pre-election crackdown, the Kalyan Crime Branch has arrested a habitual offender involved in the sale of illegal firearms and sharp weapons. The operation, executed with precision amid heightened security concerns during the election season, has exposed a troubling link between criminal activities and suspected political backing.

According to officials, the Crime Branch arrested Roshan Jha, a repeat offender with multiple criminal cases registered in Ulhasnagar. Acting on specific intelligence received by Assistant Police Sub-Inspector Dattaram Bhosale, officers were alerted that a man was attempting to sell country-made pistols and other dangerous weapons in the Dombivli area.

Following the tip-off, a team led by Police Officer Sarjerao Patil laid a strategic trap at Gokuldham Tower in Desale Pada, Dombivli (East), where the accused was believed to be residing. Upon raiding his residence, police recovered a significant cache of weapons.

Weapons Recovered During Raid
The seized items include:

Three country-made pistols

Three live cartridges

Two magazines

One dagger

Two knives

Two swords

Officials confirmed that Jha was taken into custody immediately after the recovery. Preliminary investigations reveal that he has seven serious cases registered across multiple police stations in Ulhasnagar, further reinforcing his reputation as a hardened criminal.

What has raised additional concern is emerging information suggesting the accused may have been receiving political patronage. Sources indicate that certain local political figures could be providing protection to Jha a possibility police have not ruled out. Senior officers have initiated a detailed probe to determine the extent of any political involvement.

The Crime Branch is now intensifying its investigation to trace the source of the arms and identify prospective buyers. Key questions under scrutiny include whether the weapons were intended to influence or disrupt the upcoming elections.

A senior officer stated that the crackdown is part of a broader effort to maintain law and order during the election period. “We will not hesitate to act against anyone involved, irrespective of their political connections,” the official said.

Kolkata, Nov 17: The Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police on Monday seized cash amounting to Rs 5 crore from a car near Akanksha Crossing in New Town and arrested two persons, including the vehicle’s owner.

The seizure was made following a tip-off from a confidential source.

Two people, including the owner of the car, have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding that an investigation is underway.

Police said that the money was being brought from the New Town area. Sources said Bengal STF is searching for the source of the money.

The recovery of such a large amount of money while checking the car has raised concerns, especially ahead of next year’s state Assembly polls.

According to police, the recovery of such huge cash has raised eyebrows, especially in the backdrop of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of West Bengal’s electoral rolls by the Election Commission.

The police are investigating where this money came from, where it was being taken, and what the purpose was.

“Cash worth Rs 5 crore has been recovered from a car after conducting a raid. The cash has been seized. Two people have been arrested. An investigation has started to find out the source of the money,” said a police official.

Last week, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered large sums from the residence of a businessman in the Taratala area during searches connected to the municipal recruitment scam.

Earlier this month, ED teams carried out raids at around 10 locations across the city, including Salt Lake and Beliaghata. ED sleuths searched the house of a businessman in the Taratala area in connection with the municipal recruitment corruption case.

Investigators recovered a huge amount of money from the house then too.

With the latest STF recovery, investigators are also examining whether any organised syndicate or corruption network is active in the region. Further questioning of the arrested duo is underway.

New Delhi, Nov 17: In a successful operation, a Delhi Police team arrested a bicycle thief and recovered 16 stolen bicycles, officials said on Monday.

During the investigation, more than 300 CCTV cameras from areas near the theft sites were examined, and local informers were activated. Both technical and manual intelligence inputs were collected to trace the culprits. The bicycle thief was previously involved in four criminal cases.

According to a statement released by the Dwarka South Police Station, the officers became more concerned after the recent rise in bicycle thefts in the Dwarka South area. Recognising that for many residents a bicycle is an essential possession, the police resolved to identify the offender and restore the stolen bicycles to their rightful owners.

A dedicated team was constituted by Inspector Rajesh Kumar Sah (SHO, Dwarka South), under the close supervision of ACP Dwarka, Kishor Kumar Rewala. The team included HC Sudhir Kumar (987/DW), HC Manoj Kumar (828/DW), HC Gaje Singh (1030/DW), HC Surender (764/DW), and Ct. Tushar Yadav (1803/DW).

On October 28, at around 7:00 p.m., HC Manoj received secret information that the thief would arrive near DDA Park or Bhains Wala Park within a few minutes. He immediately alerted the team, and the officers reached the location and laid a trap near Bhains Wala Park.

After some time, a man was spotted riding a bicycle from the direction of Ganpati Chowk towards Bhains Wala Park. His behaviour appeared suspicious, and the police signalled for him to stop. Instead of complying, he attempted to flee towards DDA Park, Dwarka Sector 7, abandoning the bicycle.

The team chased and apprehended him. Upon inspection, the bicycle matched the description of one reported stolen in e-FIR 80101951/2025, registered under Section 303(2) BNS at Dwarka South Police Station.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had stolen the bicycle from Ramphal Chowk Road, in front of Instyle Salon, Sector 7, Dwarka. He further revealed that he had stolen several other bicycles. Based on his disclosures, the police recovered 15 additional bicycles from different locations after sustained effort.